Trials, Tribulations and Temper Bursts
The MXQ OTT Android Media Player features an Amlogic S805 Quad Code 1.5 GHz processor with 1 GB RAM and 8 GB Internal Storage. It is capable of decoding H.265 videos at 1080p. When compared to the MK809V and the M8H, it does seem to be straddling a middle position. Does it deliver middling performance or awesome bang for buck?
The Orange Pi Mini 2 features 4 USB 2.0 ports and promises sufficient performance for a Home NAS set-up. Though the board itself runs very hot may have a short-life without some active cooling, the USB Read – Write performance mattered a lot and hopefully it was not affected by any other parameter. I ran a bunch of disk read-write tests on USB Pen-Drives, USB Hard Disk Drives and Micro-SD Cards and tabulated their results. Read more to find out if the board is suitable for a Home NAS.
The electronic brains that have been converting my ordinary TV into a Smart TV, have undergone considerable churn. It has been an Intel Core i5-430M CPU based laptop, followed by an Intel Core i5-2430M CPU based laptop, followed by an Intel Core i3-4005U CPU based laptop, followed by a Raspberry Pi B+. Now it is an Amlogic S812 CPU based Android Media Player and I am sincerely hoping that the churn would come to a rest.
The M8H Android Media Player features Amlogic S812 CPU, 2GB RAM and 16GB Internal Storage and is capable of playing 4K videos encoded using H.265 Codec without breaking a sweat. It performs admirably well as a full-fledged HTPC replacement but rough edges exist. How does the device stand-up to rudimentary testing? Continue reading to find out.
Casio has launched the CTK-7300IN , CTK-6300IN and CTK-860IN keyboards for India with emphasis on Indian tones and rhythms. These keyboards are technically advanced and priced to be affordable for the average Indian house-hold. Article compares the technical features of the keyboards vis-a-vis price to enable appropriate selection by potential buyers.
The Orange Pi Mini 2 is a Single Board Computer based on Amlogic H3 Quad Core CPU using ARM architecture. While it is based on the original concept by Raspberry Foundation’s Raspberry Pi, the Orange Pi technically exceeds the Raspberry Pi in it’s specifications. While, evolution in technology is natural and newer equipment automatically benefit, the underlying technology alone does not define a product that meets or exceeds user expectations. Ergonomics, usability and compatibility define if a product will succeed or fail. The Orange Pi Mini 2 gets a number of factors right and has scope for improvement in others.
The $25 Raspberry Pi B+ Single Board Computer had me most excited for the best part of 1st half of this year. There are a ton of projects planned around it and technology folks and educators alike are hailing it as a milestone in computing. I could potentially convert the device to serve a number of functions that previously required at-least a $500 worth Laptop computer. Perhaps I am aiming too high, perhaps I am aiming at the wrong targets. Over a few months, my use of the device has stabilized and clarity reached in thought processes. Read on to discover what task I have assigned to it.
The MK809V is a device from the long line of evolutionary devices. It features a new Amlogic S805 CPU that can decode H.265 Full-HD streams. The device is priced right, seems to work well with some caveats. Does this device overcome it’s niggling issues or get overwhelmed by them? Will it prove to be the right device for you in your quest to give a new lease of life to your middling LCD TV that is already showing it’s software age?
The Raspberry Pi B+ is a versatile low-cost Single Board Computer that is making waves in the technology world. The network performance of the board has always been up for question since the Ethernet interface shares the USB bus. Since USB 2.0 Bus has a theoretical top speed of 480 Mbps and typical Single Band (2.4 GHz) WiFi-N performance tops out 150 Mbps, would the suspected limitations prove to be real bottleneck?
Should you buy compatible (OEM) batteries made in China for your mobile phone? They certainly are cheap, often at half the price of the original manufacturer’s product. In case of mobile phones and laptops, compatible batteries may be the only ones available as replacement. Read on to discover the performance of one such product.
The Fujifilm Finepix HS50EXR is the most expensive among leading superzoom cameras by Canon, Nikon, Panasonic and Sony. Does it match up to it’s price? Me think so.
